The polar regions have a spectacular range of ice formations. From the tiniest bits of brash ice, to the towering 75m tall icebergs, each piece of ice is unique and captivating. This article will address commonly asked questions about Icebergs.
Most of us know two things about icebergs:
90% of an iceberg is underwater.
An iceberg sank the Titanic.
Upon arriving in my first polar region (the Arctic) I quickly realized that neither of these facts prepared me for the stunning variety and beauty of icebergs. Never before had I seen quite a stunning display of ice!
Getting to see and appreciate these icebergs up close was incredible. A visit to Antarctica just re-confirmed and heightened my appreciation for them. Here are a few photos I captured:
Crabeater seals rest on the ice (Pléneau Bay, Antarctica)
One of the tower-like icebergs, notice the seals on the right (Pléneau Bay, Antarctica)
I love this 'berg's sharp angles, the Gentoo Penguins on the hill give a sense of scale (Neko Harbour, Antarctica)
What actually is an iceberg?
Icebergs are pieces of ice that formed on land and float in an ocean or lake. Icebergs come in all shapes and sizes! The term “iceberg” refers to chunks of ice larger than 5 meters (16 feet) across. Parts of disintegrating icebergs and glaciers are known as bergy bits and growlers (depending on their size).
How does an iceberg form and where do they go?
Icebergs form when chunks of ice calve (break off) from glaciers, ice shelves, or a larger iceberg. Icebergs will travel with ocean currents and sometimes get stuck ashore or get caught in shallow waters.
How far can icebergs float?
It can take large icebergs up to three or four years to melt. It’s been found that Greenlandic icebergs can float as far south as New York City before they finally disappear.
Why are icebergs different colors?
This one is a little more complicated. This is because icebergs are made of snow and “glacier ice” (which is compressed snow). While a small amount of light reflects from the surface of an iceberg, majority of it enters the iceberg and interacts with bubbles of air trapped in the glacier ice. When this light hits snow particles or bubbles, it hits a boundary between ice and air and is bent and scattered.
Where there are a lot of bubbles and snow particles in the iceberg, all wavelengths of light are scattered before they get absorbed, and so we see a bright white color. The fewer bubbles there are, the less chance there is of light being scattered. In ice, this results in red wavelengths being absorbed, with only blue light being scattered and escaping the iceberg. This means we see a blue color.
TLDR; Lots of bubbles in the ice = white ‘berg. Fewer bubbles in ice = blue ‘berg.
Hanging out with a grounded iceberg in Arctic Canada
It's All About Perspective
Before every iceberg focused zodiac cruise, I ask my guests to pay particular attention to how icebergs change as we approach. While an iceberg may look smooth and polished from a distance, it may be fragmented, cracked and eroded upon closer inspection. This is one of my favorite parts of spending time in the polar regions, I love taking a closer look at the ice, and how the environment has erodes and transforms them. To me, getting to spend time next to these formations is somewhat poetic. Nature effects them quickly. The beauty is ephemeral.
Learn about the different shapes of icebergs!
Dome icebergs have rounded tops
Pinnacled icebergs have pointy tops
Sloping icebergs have angled but relatively flat tops
Tabular icebergs come with flat tops and steep flat sides
Weathered icebergs have been sculpted by the environment into a fantastic variety of shapes
Ice in the polar regions is spectacularly varied. I didn't even get to touch on sea ice! If you want to check out more ice terminology, I've got a link right here.
Have you seen icebergs before? Let me know where your favorite encounters were in the comments below!
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